Three of the Biggest Challenges Notre Dame will face in 2026
- Noah Wehby
- 1 minute ago
- 4 min read
While Notre Dame seems primed to have a special 2026 football season, it does not mean that this upcoming season will not present its fair share of challenges. Let's take a look at what those potential challenges could be.
Living Up to the Hype
Marcus Freeman and his coaching staff have been able to build an impressive roster that rivals the very best in college football. This, combined with the results of recent seasons, has caused many to have extremely high expectations for the 2026 football team. And it is not just Notre Dame fans; many pundits around the country share these expectations, as Notre Dame will enter the season as a top-five ranked team. While these are great signs that the program is continuing to level up, it does present the team with a new challenge that they will have to contend with all season...pressure. Yes, as the saying goes, "pressure is a privilege," but it can also rattle a team trying to live up to the expectations that others have set out for them.
Looking closer, CJ Carr will feel more pressure than anyone else on this team. He is already in consideration for the Heisman Trophy, a first-round pick, and will be looked at to carry the offense. He is an immensely talented player who has the capability to do all these things, but it is yet to be seen if he can handle all the noise that comes with his success. At the end of the day, this problem is not unique to Notre Dame, and they will have to become used to this sort of pressure if they want to continue elevating to the top of college football.
Battling Complacency
Freeman often talks about the lesson learned in 2024 when Notre Dame followed a big win against Texas A&M with an embarrassing loss to Northern Illinois. He stated that the team did not do a good job of dealing with their own success, failing to recognize that they could lose to any team without the proper mindset. In 2026, it is likely they will be presented with a very similar challenge. It is well documented that the Fighting Irish do not have a particularly hard schedule. While that appears to be the case now, a schedule such as theirs can quickly become a tricky one laced with trap games.
Notre Dame is favored in every game this season, meaning that talent should not be a problem for them, but every Notre Dame fan knows that there is always at least one game that is closer than it should be. Last year, that game was Boston College. While Notre Dame ended up winning, it was not until Jeremiyah Love's long touchdown run that Irish fans could take a deep breath. This season, Boston College could be a potential trap game once again, as that matchup directly follows the game against Miami. The game against Miami is not only a rivalry game, but it is also the toughest game on Notre Dame's schedule. This game is definitely one that the Irish have circled, and if they win, it may cause them to look past Boston College.
Yes, every team is entitled to the occasional "bad game", but they must be careful because the wrong loss could end their hopes of returning to the College Football Playoffs. Luckily for Freeman and his team, the group is filled with experienced players who could be all they need to avoid complacency.
Replacing an Offensive System
Last season, Notre Dame was home to two first-round running backs, giving them what felt like guaranteed offense every Saturday. Love and Jadarian Price accounted for 2,046 of the team's 2,441 rushing yards and 29 of 38 total rushing touchdowns. Looking at total offense, the duo scored over half of Notre Dame's offensive touchdowns in 2025, reinforcing the notion that they carried the bulk of the load on offense. Now that the rushing tandem is gone, Notre Dame will have to recreate their offensive philosophy. They can no longer depend on Love and Price to generate big plays and steady production.
Upcoming starting running back Aneyas Williams will be responsible for replacing some of the production, but it will be impossible for Notre Dame to run back the same game plan in 2026. The workload will likely shift to Carr's arm. Last season, he thrived in a role that did not rely on him to create the offense or deliver on many big plays. Now, he will likely be asked to do more through the air. While many believe he is ready for that jump in responsibility, it is an unknown that Notre Dame will have to figure out throughout the season. Carr will have a strong offensive line and a plethora of receiving weapons to lean on, giving him a much better chance of successfully shouldering that burden. Only time will tell just how big the hole Love and Price are leaving behind.
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